TLDR

Using VidMob’s creative insights and best practices, Community Solutions collaborated with VidMob to extend World Homeless Day into a week-long campaign. They employed text-only graphic videos and engaged over 30 Built for Zero communities and ten partners/funders. The campaign successfully transformed the discourse on homelessness, achieving a sustained share of voice of 52% on social media. By capitalizing on unique moments and engaging communities and partners, the campaign shaped public perceptions and fostered a collective commitment to addressing homelessness.

Introduction

This case study showcases Community Solutions, a national nonprofit’s remarkable efforts to leverage World Homeless Day and transform it into an entire week of impactful advocacy. (The strike-through word the Day is intentional, as the organization wants to reinforce that the effort was a week-long effort, not just a single day.) By aiming to drive a significant shift in the discourse surrounding homelessness, Community Solutions aimed to change public perceptions and generate accountability for creating a society where homelessness is rare and brief. The study highlights the challenges faced, the strategies implemented in partnership with VidMob, and the outstanding results achieved regarding the share of voice (SOV) in public discourse, particularly on social media.

Background

Reshaping the narrative and centering accountability is central to Community Solutions’ work to create a lasting end to homelessness that leaves no one behind. Recognizing the significance of World Homeless Day, the organization embarked on an initiative to extend the event into a week-long campaign, effectively maximizing the potential for generating a transformative discourse and engaging partners in amplifying a supportive conversation around homelessness.

Partnership and Strategy Implemented

Community Solutions joined forces with VidMob to develop a captivating campaign that resonated with the target audience. They leveraged VidMob’s Creative Analytics platform to understand which elements of video would resonate best with their audience. Using this creative data and embracing innovation, Community Solutions opted for a unique video format, employing text-only graphic videos instead of traditional live-action or animation. The partnership also prioritized community and partner engagement, enlisting the active participation of over 30 Built for Zero communities and ten partners/funders, all of whom were crucial to the campaign’s success.

Goals and Results

The campaign spanned from October 10th to October 21st, 2022, with the primary objective of catalyzing a transformative discourse that positioned homelessness as a solvable systems problem. By extending the duration of World Homeless Day, Community Solutions strategically seized the opportunity to monopolize the conversation during a time when few national organizations were actively driving the narrative.

Key Results and Learning

• Significant Increase in Share of Voice (SOV): The campaign achieved a sustained SOV of 52% on social media, marking Community Solutions’ most remarkable increase to date. This surpassed their initial goal of attaining a sustained SOV of 30%.
• Discourse Transformation: The campaign effectively shifted the discourse, compelling individuals to perceive homelessness as a solvable issue, emphasizing the significance of by-name data, partnerships, and affirming solutions.
• Capitalizing on Unique Moments: By capitalizing on moments when competing conversations were scarce, Community Solutions could assert its message effectively and drive the narrative with unprecedented clarity.
• Engaging Communities and Partners: The active participation of Built for Zero communities and partners/funders, who enthusiastically shared the organization’s posts on social media, underscored the campaign’s collaborative nature and contributed to its success.

The Impact

The partnership between Community Solutions and VidMob and the strategic utilization of World Homeless Day Week yielded a remarkable transformation in the discourse surrounding homelessness. By harnessing innovative techniques, such as the use of text-only videos, the campaign achieved a sustained increase in the share of voice on social media, ultimately shaping public perceptions and fostering a collective commitment to addressing homelessness. Community Solutions’ efforts continue to pave the way for a future where homelessness is rare and brief, engendering a sense of public accountability and inspiring collective action toward sustainable solutions.

“We understand the power of video storytelling in our work, and VidMob helped us bring our ideas to life. The team helped us create a shareable video that still lives on past World Homeless Day Week. 

VidMob’s work is grounded in data and actionable insights. Their team of analysts, along with their data insights platform, helped us understand which elements of the video resonate best with audiences. As an organization that uses data to help solve homelessness, appreciate a partner that also understands the importance of data for learning and improvement.

We’re grateful for our partnership with VidMob and look forward to changing the narrative of homelessness alongside them.” 

– Katie Stasa, Senior Digital Communications Strategist

The Creator Network

The VidMob Foundation is fueled by the active engagement of incredible freelance creative professionals on the VidMob platform. They’re some of the world’s most talented creators, and, time and again, have willingly dived in to offer their time and skills for charities worldwide. No matter the size of the ask, or the significance of the cause, these creators believe in using creativity as a force for good, just as we do.

Tim Foster

Creative Director and Editor

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